urb

[quote name='hivez' post='376582' date='Jan 11 2009, 02:24 AM']Ah thats better Quicktime worked. For something that is mainly improvised I thought it was great. What you thinking of doing with it, some parts made me think thats nice I'd take that bit and develop it (if I was able to play it that is). Thanks for posting it Regards Dave[/quote] Thanks Dave, that's exactly what I plan on doing with this stuff, taking the best bits and bringing in more melody, it also works well as a frenetic percussive chord/groove idea as well, so Ive only just started to explore the possibilities it opens up M

[quote name='hivez' post='376003' date='Jan 10 2009, 11:17 AM']Mike I'd like to hear this but there is just a report button no download button. I could listen to your other stuff which I enjoyed but not the solo Sei. Regards Dave[/quote] hi You need Quicktime installed to listen to this track try and install of and let meknow if it works Cheers M

[quote name='mcgraham' post='375760' date='Jan 9 2009, 11:14 PM']Quite nice I like how it's got the same feel as the Wooten-esque style of playing but without the 'aggression' of full on slap. Good work. Are you just holding back a little on the strength when using said technique, just enought to get the string into motion? Mark[/quote] Thanks Mark Basically I learnt (as best I could) Wooten's 'Sex In A Pan' - which he plays all the plucking/double thumbing stuff over the pickups - and doesn't slap - I do it over my ramp, I still slap the strings but not at the end of the neck - then I do two plucks with index and middle fingers to get that 'motion' thing hapening, then I hammer on as well from open strings and barred chords... I'm very relaxed with it now so it means I can go where ever I want harmonically, but I'm just working on different combinations of plucks and hammers to create variety. Hope that explains things a bit. Thanks for listening Cheers Mike

Hey peeps I recorded this the other day - it's still a bit work in progress - but I've been developing a new picking style which is based on some of the Wooten stuff but it's NOT slapping - though it is very chord based - so you get bassline, chord and synchopated plucks as well... anyway the point is it sounds cool. So this was improvised around a couple of groove ideas I had - and I have developed it further since - but I'd love to know what you think of it. I also wanted to record the Sei on its own and really let the bass speak for itself - which I think it does! Thanks again for listening - click below: [b][url="http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=103916"]Happy Too[/url] [/b] Cheers Mike

[quote name='The Funk' post='371164' date='Jan 5 2009, 05:40 PM']I was at the gig that all the video clips are from. I was with a girl who wanted to "go home early" so I didn't stick around for the second set or say hello. It was a cool band and cool gig though. Great tone from the Thumb and Baby Blue too![/quote] Cheers man - say hello next time M

[quote name='OldGit' post='371137' date='Jan 5 2009, 05:14 PM']Excellent stuff URB. Really enjoyed it. OG[/quote] Thanks OG and everyone else - I really miss this band and your comments are spurring me on to get us back together after a year off....! They are great players and it's basically fun music to play, which is the main reason we want to do it - anyway I really appreciate the positive feedback - this is the kind of music I love to make so it's gratifying when other people like it too. Cheers Mike

[quote name='Weird War' post='369934' date='Jan 4 2009, 02:03 PM']Just found this - wonderful stuff! Congrats to all involved. Any London gigs planned in the near future?[/quote] Firstly thanks for the belated listens and compliments, I love this band but we haven't done anything together for over a year now, but.... I was on the phone with the guitarist yesterday and we are keen to start doing something again this year, with the addition of a trumpeter, it would be a really great band, I'm REALLY keen to get something jazzy/fusiony on the go, just have to see how all my other commitments pan out in the coming months. But we ARE going to get together for a play and see what happens. thanks again for checking this out, I really love this band too Cheers Mike

Hello Chaps/Chapesses Just made a very quick video showing how I mute when using the ole Matt Garrison 4 finger technique - hope it helps. Cheers Mike

[quote name='lonestar' post='369072' date='Jan 3 2009, 01:37 AM']She's a goddess![/quote] Absolutely - top babe top bassist. One of my fave bassists ever actually. M

[quote name='mcgraham' post='365667' date='Dec 29 2008, 06:35 PM']Interesting! Thanks for the input Mike! When using the 4 finger technique I mute in a similar fashion, essentially dragging my index finger across the strings behind the movement of the other strings like the scrunchie that so many players use. that way it still mutes lower strings even when I move to high registers, as I used other portions of my index (where necessary) to fret different strings and therefore 'shift' the focus of my playing from one string to another. I love bass, so many interesting techniques you can use! Mark[/quote] Absolutely... I'd still love to see/hear you use this stuff as well, try and post something in the Recordings forum sometime, sounds like you have it down. I'm getting really fluid with the 4 finger stuff now, and love to use it on a groove with a drummer, but also I'm finding loads of different ways to use it for ascending runs and chordal plucking, I'm going to start writing some solo bass pieces again as I've ignored this side of my playing for a long time while I've been working on my jazz stuff and I think it's time to start looking into this area again as I love doing it and the Sei is the perfect vehicle for any idea I have... cheers Mike

[quote name='Absolute-beginner' post='356491' date='Dec 16 2008, 10:56 PM']I hear what youre all saying, but I just dont know enough to play in a band right now. My knowledge is pretty limited. Matt[/quote] All the same you just have to leap in or you'll always feel like that, when I started my first band I think all I knew was 'Anther One Bites The Dust'... just do it and think about it afterwards, it's amazing what you learn the minute you start playing with a drummer, it's the real deal. Keep at it, real progress takes time and patience, I feel like I'm just getting there after 24 years, it really is a long game music, with no shortcuts. Mike

Yes since 2004, it's a cool site and I have a few like mined pals on there, plus there's a MASSIVE [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=360143"]Sei bass owners thread[/url].... which I likey a lot

Er, any votes for Dave Holland, probably in top three jazz bassists on the planet today.... and one of the few to play with Miles Davis and still be going very strong today... and from Wolverhampton

for me it's a close call between Laurence Cottle and om Jenkimnson, but that's just my taste, they are just the best for me

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='365912' date='Dec 30 2008, 12:22 AM']When he grooves he's amazing, he should do it more often instead of playing a million notes as fast as he can using that horrid-sounding double-thumbing technique he's so fond of that makes every note sound like a tonne of attack noise and little else. I can admire people who have chops but also the taste and decency to use them where required instead of everywhere. Wooten seems to lack those important characteristics. Maybe he's a bit railroaded by his audiences given that he only really plays to other bass players, so perhaps I'm being unfair. But bloody hell he can make some bad sounds, and he even puts them out on CD![/quote] Fair enough but for my sins I've been a Flecktones fan since around 1990 so I've been checking Vic out for a hell of a long time and like to think I've heard him play just about everything in dozens of different contexts, you are singling out just on small aspect of his playing, he's a master of dynamics, rhythm and his 'internal clock' is just plain scary. He's a very fine fretless player and can completely support a groove, play for the song etc etc without doing a single fill for the duration. Sadly the stuff that gets posted on Youtube from bootlegged videos of his live shows always focus on his solo spots which invariably feature his patented double thumb stuff, but while I can agree listening to more than a few second of that can be quite annoying, the level he has it at means he can play very musically with it, but if you still hate it fine, it's not the point I'm trying to make. Wooten also happens to be one of the finest fingerstyle players around as well and to be honest that's the stuff he does that I love best, no idea if you have seen this clip but this is a wicked solo off his video from ten years ago, that does feaure some double thumb stuff but in a subtle, utterly grooving way and the tune at the end 'Sex In A Pan' in part 2 is just damn funky and beautifully executed, sorry i couldn't find the whole clip on its own but the instructional stuff on the start of part oneis really good as well i hope you learn something from it! part one part two

Great thread and one that is due for discussion, all I'll add for now as I have to get an early night, is that I sort of played my first solo bass spot a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I'd just played a set with my funk band at this biggish private party and was all packed up but my amp was still set up when these percussionists started jamming, so I grabbed my bass and pulled out all my solo bass stuff I.e. polyrhythmic chord bass grooves, the Garrison 4 finger stuff but really kept it grooving too. Bearing in mind we'd just had everyone dancing with the funk band earlier with some kicking JBs style grooves I took it as a big compliment that I got a goodish crowd boogying on down to just me and some percussion. For me solo bass is great when played with real passion and despite what some have said here about Wooten lacking soul etc and being all about technique really need to see him live. He can play one note and make it groove like crazy and if you have ever witnessed his version of Amazing Grace, in a packed venue, I swear when he hits that groove the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I recently rediscovered Wooten and I highly recommend his new Groove Workshop DVD. It's packed with over 5 hours of hugely insightful tips and some great solo performances it's top stuff. Long live solo bass alongside all other types of bass playing, it's all good, M

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='365496' date='Dec 29 2008, 02:40 PM']Absolutely - no matter who makes your bass, each one should be made to the highest of standards to the best of your chosen luthier's ability. I've never played a bad GB, Roscoe or Sei - ranging from both the no frills models, to the more fully loaded examples. My Spitfire, although not as loaded as the Rumour, is still a fabulous instrument and remains one of my favourite basses of all time. It has the same quality of finish, build quality etc...[/quote] +1 My fretless is made by a guy called Jeff Chapman, not at all related to the Chaman Stick fella by the way, and it is a simply stunning bass to play, it's very understated and not exactly exotic and Jeff remains something of an obscure builder but his work is outstanding, it's a totally different beast to my Sei but I love it and feel very lucky made me the only fretless I will ever need. I'm staying well out of the politics of which luthier is better etc, as like you say Russ I've played great basses by many top luthiers, and all had their plus and minus points, but like you've clearly stated compairing custom made instruments is a bit weird as the individual preferances of each player who commissions a bass to suit their needs and their needs only, is surely going to fall foul of the reviewer's individual tastes? I also agree that the GB was the only really truly exotic bass in that 'shootout' and considering the level of workmanship on the GB and the price tag a fairer comparison may have been between a Fodera, Overwater, Sei, Jerzy Drozd, Ritter, F Bass, or a fully spec'd up Nordstrand, because including the Super Jazz I agree is a bit of a misnomer... Anyway it's all horses for courses isn't it? One man's dream boat is another man's idea of bass hell, I know my Sei is not to every taste or playing style but I love it and it works perfectly for me, and that's the way it should be as it's exactly what I asked for... I'm very happy with my choice and I considered all the choices I had available to me in the UK and Sei was the one for me. Next time it'd be good to see clearer perameters on which these top end basses were judged on, but then again I don't know if it's even worth doing these kind of high end shoot outs, as once you have more 2K to spend on an instrument then a whole world of other factors come into play with your choice of bass, it's a bit more than just a bass to get you through the next year or two with your new funk/metal/blues band it more like a bass for life...IMHO anyway. Cheers Mike

Jeeeez guys, I think some of you are a little TOO addicted to the old multi bass swap a rama... anyway I'm not exactly GAS free this year so here goes: IN: Series 1 Single Cut Sei Bass Epifani UL210 Boss RC2 Looper EBS Wah One pedal Deposit paid on Sei Jazz 4 string bass Studio stuff IN: 1 pair of KRK Rokit 6s Logic Pro BFD2 Sennheiser Mic (can't remember the exact model but it's very good) 24" Intel Mac OUT: 1990 Warwick Thumb Original EBS Proline 15" ...it's been a good year for work and the extra freelance gigs I've had have helped me get my setup I've been aiming for many years, but I'm done now till the Sei Jazz arrives. Cheers Mike

[quote name='Jase' post='364906' date='Dec 28 2008, 03:56 PM']You're as good as your last gig, or as good as the musicians you work with.....I heard that somewhere....can't remember who said it though.[/quote] I think some of that is true and in my case I'm playing with some really great people lately, yet for all I feel I have achieved both technically and musically I know how much more I still have to learn. I think I actually play better when I play with better musicians and the music tends to be better as well when I do. As I've gpt to he level I've wanted to be at technically for many years now, it's increasingly the case that I want to make better music and that anything I have accomplished on the bass harmonicaly or technically is then at the service of the music not the other way around. I've also noticed that the more I can play, the happier I am to play less, and for all my solo bass tunes and vids I've posted on the web, I'm actually happiest as a bass player when I'm laying down a killing groove with a great drummer, that for me is bass nirvana right there. Taking a great solo once every six months is nice too, but they are far more elusive than you might imagine.... I'm still working on all of that and will do for ever more. Mike

Bilbo This is excellent stuff - my only minor suggestion is that in spite of it being an obvious chord sequence for some of us I think it'd be slightly enhanced in its usefulness by having the name of the chord under or above each bar - sorry if this isn't something you'd normally do - I would just find it useful for spotting cool turnaround ideas and the like - just a small suggestion - otherwise great stuff indeed. Cheers Mike

[quote name='mcgraham' post='316421' date='Oct 28 2008, 09:11 AM']How do you mute exactly Mike? Mark[/quote] Hey Mark Man - I've been meaning to reply to your question for weeks now but I've been distracted with Crimbo and all that... but I'll try and give you a brief idea as it's the one side of the four finger stuff that is most tricky and something I'm still trying to improve. Having given this quite a lot of thought the 'nutshell' way of looking at muting with this technique is kind of the same as how you mute when slapping. The common factor being that - when slaping - you have your fretting hand flat against the strings - while your 'slapping' hand is floating around either doing downstrokes with the thumb and up plucks with the index and or middle finger. Which is pretty much exactly what you would be doing with the 4-finger technique. Obviously you can dampen the strings with your palm on the plucking hand but most of the time you will be muting with your fretting hand - shifting the fingers that are fretting notes while continually 'barring' across the lower strings to keep them from ringing. The higher strings should (in theory) be muted by the lower part of your fretting index finger - but the main problem will be when you move in to the higher register and therefore leave the lower strings exposed. Again if you go back to what you would do if you were slapping there are ways you can keep the lower strings quiet - i.e. palm mute, of stretch your fretting index over them, or simply try and avoid making contact with them - or most likely a combination of all three! You can also mute with your middle, ring and pinky on your fretting hand - shifting each one in an opposite motion to the ones that are fretting notes. As you can see it's not straightforward but there are ways around it - as with other aspcts of of this technique it all takes time to bring together - I use barring a lot with my left hand as I tend to play a lot of closed shapes - I move around the fretboard with the Gary Willis one-finger-per-fret idea but maintain the ability to strecth above or below this basic shape to try and shift smoothly from one key centre to another. The 4-finger style demands a lot of awareness of how you string cross so the muting side of things does actually follow developing this style quite naturally - i.e. it's something you will be aware of from the minute you start using this picking technique... Hope all that helps - I really will try and get another instructional video up that covers this in more detail - but it's the holidays and I have a baby to look after! Cheers Mike

An M-Audio midi-keyboard - so I can make some non-bass sounds in my recordings now... That was it - I'm giving myself a [url="http://www.munkio.com/visions/seijazzbass.html"]Sei Jazz[/url] later this year so I am holding out until then for any more bass stuff. M

Really interesting discussion and loads of good points well made - all I'll add is two things - firstly I practice everyday and within that I always work on some aspect of my technique - so when it comes to actually playing in a LIVE situation I don't have to. Secondly I was at the recent Manchester Bass Day and sitting with my good buddy Jon Thorne (ex-Lamb bassist, now solo artist and all round top muso and lovely bloke). He and I were talking to another chap sitting in front of us in the theatre waiting for Richard Bona's masterclass to start. The other chap - who we'd struck up conversation with was talking about nice basses, and lots of technical playing, I was chipping in with some enthusiastic comments on both subjects - when Jon stopped us both and said something rather profound - pointing at my chest - saying: "this is the real instrument here, you the individual, the bass is just a piece of wood, I want to listen to the musician, not just the instrument..." The point is obvious I guess. I will say though I've just been away for a couple of days, took my bass with me but forgot a lead to plug it into my Tascam MPBT1 unit - so I ended up practicing unplugged. The bass did sound fine and I had a good thirty minute practice session - but I agree with Mark's point about these being electric instruments... or as Gary Willis puts it - 'finesse instruments' - which if you have as incredible plucking control as him you'd have to have developed that by being plugged in - and personally that's the way I try and approach bass guitar. I have recorded going direct as well recently and got superb results if that counts as well. Your sound is the first thing people notice when they listen to you play so my advice is work on that sound and the music you play as thoroughly as you can - experience with lots of different amps also helps as in a pro situation you could find yourself using almost any kind of rig on stage - it's good to know how to get the sound you want in a short space of time - because with a crap sound you feel like crap and that defnitely affects you're playing. M

I'm still using Stringbusters even though the price has gone up, they still offer a discount the more sets you buy at one time, and the service is spot on, I.e. order delivered next day by lunchtime. I've used Elites Players for many years now and I simply don't know where else to get them at a better price and in the guages I want, any suggestions gratefully received, luckily my Sei seems to make strings last longer too. Mike

[quote name='d-basser' post='357423' date='Dec 17 2008, 11:19 PM']aye got it few hours ago, tis so lovely[/quote] Good work fella - she's a beauty - good catch! Welcome aboard. Mike